The present disclosure relates generally to knowledge processing systems and more particularly to using physicochemical correlates of perceptual flavor similarity to enhance, balance, and substitute flavors.
Human flavor perception is very complicated, involving a variety of external sensory stimuli and internal states. Taste typically refers to the five basic receptors: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. Flavor, on the other hand, is a combination of taste plus other sensations such as aroma, texture, juiciness, mouthfeel, and color that influence our perception through the emotional, memory-related, motivational, and linguistic aspects of food.
The aroma, or odor, of foods may be a key contributor to flavor perception. Natural odors are a mixture of many molecules and the aroma of food may result from the properties of the chemical compounds found in the ingredients included in the food. There may typically be tens to hundreds of different chemical compounds affecting the aroma of each food ingredient.